If fall were a flavor, it would be this apple cinnamon pull-apart bread. Soft, buttery brioche dough layered with cinnamon sugar and juicy apple pieces, baked until golden, and topped with a salty maple icing (yeah, it’s as dreamy as it sounds). This loaf is part breakfast treat, part dessert, which is perfect because I can’t stop eating it all day.

ingredients you’ll need

for the brioche dough:

300 g (2 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
36 g (3 tablespoons) sugar
10 g (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
6 g (2 teaspoons) kosher salt
3 eggs, room temperature
30 g (3 tablespoons) milk, room temperature
170 g (12 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature

for the apple cinnamon filling:

1/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium red apple, peeled and chopped

for the salty maple icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
big pinch of kosher salt
splash of vanilla extract
splash of milk, if needed

what makes brioche bread different?

Brioche is like the fancy cousin of regular bread — soft, rich, and buttery. While most bread doughs rely mostly on flour, water, and yeast, brioche gets its signature texture (and slightly sweet flavor) from eggs and butter. Lots of butter.

This extra fat gives brioche that tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb and deep golden color. It’s what makes this pull-apart bread taste more like a pastry than a loaf of bread — we’re in the same realm as croissants, but much easier to make.

how to make apple cinnamon pull-apart bread

step 1: make the brioche dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Stir with a spatula to combine, then add eggs and milk. Mix with the dough hook on medium speed until a shaggy dough forms — about 5–7 minutes.

With the mixer on low, add the butter a tablespoon at a time, letting it fully mix in before adding more. Once all the butter is in, mix another 3–5 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky.

Shape it into a ball, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about 1–2 hours).

step 2: prep the filling

While the dough rises, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Peel and chop the apple into small pieces.

step 3: assemble

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and roll it into a 16×16-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 2×2-inch squares.

Dip each square in melted butter, then coat both sides in cinnamon sugar. Stack 5–6 squares at a time, sprinkling apple pieces between each layer. Once stacked, transfer the pile to a 9-inch loaf pan (you can line with parchment for easier removal), placing the pieces vertically. Repeat until the pan is full.

Cover and let rise again for about 1 hour.

step 4: bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F while the dough finishes rising. Bake the bread for 30–40 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown and your house smells like fall perfection.

step 5: make the icing

While the bread bakes, whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Add a splash of milk if it’s too thick — you want it pourable but not runny. The pinch of salt here makes the maple flavor pop and balances all that sweetness.

step 6: finish and serve

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack or serving plate. Drizzle that salty maple icing all over while it’s still warm so it melts into the layers just a bit.

Then, pull apart a piece and taste the buttery, soft brioche with layers of cinnamon sugar and tender apple.

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apple cinnamon pull-apart bread

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rising Time 3

Total Time 4

Course Dessert

Servings 12 servings

ingredients

brioche dough:

300 g (2 1/3 cups) all purpose flour
36 g (3 tablespoons) sugar
10 g (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
6 g (2 teaspoons) kosher salt
3 eggs room temperature
30 g (3 tablespoons) milk room temperature
170 g (12 tablespoons) salted butter room temperature

apple cinnamon filling

56 g (1/4 cup) salted butter melted
72 g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
2 g (1 teaspoon) cinnamon
1 medium red apple

salty maple icing

113 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
6 g (1 teaspoon) maple syrup
big pinch of kosher salt
splash of vanilla extract
splash of milk if needed

instructions

To make the brioche dough, add the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Add the eggs and milk. Place a dough hook attachment on your stand mixer. Mix on medium until a slightly shaggy dough forms, 5-7 minutes.
With the mixer still on low, add 1 tablespoon additions of butter to the dough, letting the butter mix in completely between additions. Once all the butter is added, mix another 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft. Shape the dough into a ball then return to the bowl (or transfer to a new bowl). Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
Just before the dough has finished rising, prep the next ingredients. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool until no longer hot to the touch (but still liquid). Place the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine. Peel and chop the apple into small chunks.
Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into roughly a 16×16-inch square. Then use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into small squares, each roughly 2×2-inches.
Dip each square into the melted butter, then dip both sides into the bowl of cinnamon sugar. Place the square on the table then add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped apple on top. Continue with this method layering dough then apples. Once you’ve gotten through 5-6 dough squares, transfer the pile to a 9-inch loaf pan with the pieces turned vertically (you can line the pan with parchment paper if you want, but it’s not essential). Continue stacking and transferring the dough to the pan until all the dough is used up (you can try stacking more before transferring to the pan, but your stack will get wobbly and might fall!). Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
After 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350F. Once the dough is finished rising, transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown.
While it bakes, make the salty maple icing. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. If the icing is still very thick (and not pourable), add a splash of milk and whisk again.
Once the bread is removed from the oven, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack or plate and drizzle the maple icing on top. Enjoy while it’s still warm!